5-31-2010

So transfer news was good, me and Elder Mkhabela are staying together for another transfer. Its going to be awesome. Big plans for next transfer. or i should say this transfer, we are already into the second week of it. We already have two baptisms set for this transfer so it should be good, im pretty excited for it. Esh thats nice. Me and Elder Mkhabela are staying together for another transfer, and im pretty exctied about it. He is an awesome guy. And we are slowing building up Changombe. We are seeing the less actives in the branch and wow there are alot. So this transfer we are going to bring back as many as possible. We started it already, we went and saw two yesteday, and they both are way cool, and know english. So are going to go back there until they come to church. Esh its going to be a busy transfer, but that just means it will be more fun.
Did you ever see my pictures of the ferry and the ocean? Its pretty awesome, we get to ride on the ferry every saturday to see Anna. Its pretty cool, i see alot of mizungus there. That seems to be the place where all the tourist are. In fact like two weeks ago we say a bus full of mizungus. Its pretty weird to see white people, and i think im afraid of them. Im just used to black people, whenever i see a white person i just kinda stare at them. Ah ya kinda weird. It will take me a while to get used to Utah and all the mizungus there.
By the way our branch mission leader, Roma, had his birthday a couple of weeks ago, and he made us come. It was a little different then what im used to. We sang happy b-day in english to him. Then he cut up the cake into small squares and with a toothpick fed everyone. It was kinda weird getting fed by a guy, but hey its there culture. Then after that we ate a huge meal. It was good, and after the meal we each had to say somthing about Romanos (roma). And after whatever you said about him everyone claps. And finally they put on some music, and everyone dances. Of course me and my comp didnt dance, but ya there is a little experince i had with a birthday party.
So in case your wondering i didnt have to hold hands with any guys this week, so i was pretty happy.
And by the ways we just got anna, cleared for baptism, and this one is set in stone, nothing will prevent it. So im pretty excited. And she is even more excited, she has been waiting for forever for her baptism. So when pres. taylor called us and said everything was okay, i called her immidiatly after he called and told her, and she was way excited. So ya its pretty awesome. We also are going to have another baptism, Jackson. Gosh that guy he is back, and he missed three weeks in a row cause he had work or school, or something like that. But if he can make it to church the next 4 weeks he will be baptised. So ya i thought that would be some exciting news. At least for me, im pretty excited about that. Also we got some new awesome investigators, ah they are freaking sweet. One we meet with last saturday, he read the scripture we gave him last time (moroni 10:3-5) and he understood it perfectly. But he told us that he doesnt know how to pray. So me and my comp got to teach him how to pray, it was an awesome experince. It was the first time that i've taught someone how to pray on mission, its was sweet. So we rechallenged him pray and read the scripture again. And wow i just gotta say that guy is powerful.
when i come hope im going to teach ya some swahili. Poa? sawa, tuta onnana weeky jio. Kwaheri. Sima Swahili Mama

Love elder Jackson

5-24-2010

The mission is going by to fast, i feel like i got here yesterday. But ya this week was really hecktic. esh we had to go everywhere, ubungo, for an baptism interview, and the next day to kinondoni, for zone conference. It was my last zone conference with president Taylor. Awesome guy, im going to miss him and his wife, they are both amazing people. So ya crazy, alot of dollaz, and alot of traffic. So this week also was bad for my comp. He was pickpocketed, on the ferry. Luckly he didnt have that much pesa in it. But ya he didnt even relize it happend till like after we got to our investigators home. Oh by the way, Anna David was interviewed, for baptism yesterday! Now we just got to wait to hear from the big people (president taylor, area authourity) about it. Though it wont be a problem, i think she will be baptised next month. So it should be good. And also i just gotta say it, but i think that i have the best mission out there. Im absolulty loving every second of it. I love all of our investigators, i love how they all call me JACK. Its just so amazing, but im scared today because its transfer news. Were waiting for the big people to call, to give us the news if we are going to stay together or if one of us is going, esh its intese.
So another thing i just cant get used that is a custom down here is the whole hand holding thing. Ah i had a investigator hold my hand while we walked to his house. And ya... just cant get used to it. I mean holding hands with a girl just feels right, but a man is just mbiya (bad). But you see people do it, but i never thought that i would have to do it, ah its just to weird. So ya my companion was laughing at me and cracking jokes, he thinks he is real funny. But he tells me that in kenya, they do it alot there too, which im not excited for. But ya despite the hand holding thing i still think i have the best mission in the world.
So Elissa is getting up there now huh? 5 and a half inches? wow, thats good, she made it over 5 feet. As for me, im still just as short as when you last saw me. But i fit right in with the people of Tanzania, they all our short. Oh just incase your wondering i've seen plenty of guys with machine guns, pretty awesome. In fact i've seen like 20 guys today walking around with machine guns, heck even the police have machine guns. I want to go and contact one of them, but i think twice because he's got a big scary gun. But one day i will. And so i meet another guy yesterday, who speaks english, and wants to teach me swahili, ah everyone want to teach me swahili. But its good, my swahili is improving. So i guess a story i can share with you for this week, is about a girl named gladness. And we see her every friday and she is living with a return missionary without marriage. So ya we went and taught her about the law of chasity. I thought that she might not like that, but it turned out really nice. In fact i kept digging, and got her to bear her testimony to me, and she is powerful. I found out that she wants to be baptised and thats way awesome. Now we just got to deal with the problem with her living with a guy. But ya we will continue to work her and im hoping that she will get married to the guy or move out so she can be baptised, but ya we are going to discuss that with her on friday. So ya there is a little story, so i hope you enjoyed it. Buy anyways tuta onana
-Elder Jackson

5-17-2010

Its good, things are going well for ya. And thats good uncle john finally got his house sold, i hope things will just keep getting better for him. I can say that he is one of my favorite people because he has such a big heart, and i admire him for that. And i want this known now that when i come home, i will be going to texas to visit him. And i thank you for sending the packages, my comp also thanks you, he loves that picture and is very excited to have his own. And ya i hope i dont get transfered this next week, cause then they will to send it to where ever i am which i dont know how long then it will take to get to me. But we will see.
So ya got an email from kirk last week, and i emailed him back. But ya its weird that he is going to the MTC in provo. Its kinda a disadvatage cause the south africa you really get the your far away from home feeling and by the time you get to the mission field your used to it. And not to mention the south africa MTC has the best food by far. BY FAR. Ah i would go back there just for the food. Esh i miss that place.
So ya this week for me has been very stressful. The girl Anna she has to be interview by the elder burgender, he is a couple missionary, but she has to interveiw by him cause she has some poligamy in her family and that is a big no no. So ya the interview was suppose to be yesterday, Elder Burgender came but anna didnt. So im really dissapointed and kinda sad that she didnt come, saturday we are gonig to see why. Esh i was really dissapointed but life goes on. But ya i can say that on mission you have to deal with some problems that are way behond the level of maturity for 19 year old 20 year old and even 21 year old. Esh its stressful. Like one investigator named komilius, i've known him since i got here. he has become my friend and i love the guy he is just awesome. But now the place he stays is not good. His friend he says with kicks him out when he brings his girlfriend home. And so he has to sleep outside. And sometimes some mama's are nice enough to let him sleep on the couch in there flat. But its just sad, and it really bothers me that i see this happening to hime and i cant do anything really to help him beside spiritual upliftment. So we have been dealing with this problem for a while, and its hard. And now komilus has had enough and told us he is going to walk from dar es salaam to his home. Which is in kidoma. Which is the other side of Tanzania. Its way over 1,000 miles. He has no food for it, no water, no money. And it scares me. So we have been working with the branch president to find him a job and a new place to stay. But he wants to go, so we've been talking to him about just holding on a little longer. But im not sure what he will do, he plans of leaving this week. But we will see what happens.
So anyways something good thats happend is we meet a guy who speaks english and is interested in the gospel. Which is exaclty what missionaries love to hear. So we've been teaching him, he keeps commitments, and comes to church. Ah its so nice, it makes me so happy to see him progressing. I know that one day he will be baptised. He is a nice guy, and he unlike all of our investigators calls me by my full name. Jackson. Almost all of our investigators call me JACK. Its cool, and im actually starting to like it. So as for me and my comp, i can say that we are really good friends. He is an awesome guy. Im glad that ive been blessed with two awesome companions. But ya i hope i will have another transfer with him, but again i guess we will see next week. Kinda weird this transfer went by so quickly. Esh mission is going by to fast. I cant believe i've been out for over 3 months. It doesnt even feel like ive been out for 1 week. Ah its crazy. So mama mimi naku penda wewe. And as for me i now have got to go, so kwaheri until next week. Usiku mwema. Eh.

Love, Elder Jackson a.k.a. JACK
So ya got an email from kirk last week, and i emailed him back. But ya its weird that he is going to the MTC in provo. Its kinda a disadvatage cause the south africa you really get the your far away from home feeling and by the time you get to the mission field your used to it. And not to mention the south africa MTC has the best food by far. BY FAR. Ah i would go back there just for the food. Esh i miss that place.
So ya this week for me has been very stressful. The girl Anna she has to be interview by the elder burgender, he is a couple missionary, but she has to interveiw by him cause she has some poligamy in her family and that is a big no no. So ya the interview was suppose to be yesterday, Elder Burgender came but anna didnt. So im really dissapointed and kinda sad that she didnt come, saturday we are gonig to see why. Esh i was really dissapointed but life goes on. But ya i can say that on mission you have to deal with some problems that are way behond the level of maturity for 19 year old 20 year old and even 21 year old. Esh its stressful. Like one investigator named komilius, i've known him since i got here. he has become my friend and i love the guy he is just awesome. But now the place he stays is not good. His friend he says with kicks him out when he brings his girlfriend home. And so he has to sleep outside. And sometimes some mama's are nice enough to let him sleep on the couch in there flat. But its just sad, and it really bothers me that i see this happening to hime and i cant do anything really to help him beside spiritual upliftment. So we have been dealing with this problem for a while, and its hard. And now komilus has had enough and told us he is going to walk from dar es salaam to his home. Which is in kidoma. Which is the other side of Tanzania. Its way over 1,000 miles. He has no food for it, no water, no money. And it scares me. So we have been working with the branch president to find him a job and a new place to stay. But he wants to go, so we've been talking to him about just holding on a little longer. But im not sure what he will do, he plans of leaving this week. But we will see what happens.
So anyways something good thats happend is we meet a guy who speaks english and is interested in the gospel. Which is exaclty what missionaries love to hear. So we've been teaching him, he keeps commitments, and comes to church. Ah its so nice, it makes me so happy to see him progressing. I know that one day he will be baptised. He is a nice guy, and he unlike all of our investigators calls me by my full name. Jackson. Almost all of our investigators call me JACK. Its cool, and im actually starting to like it. So as for me and my comp, i can say that we are really good friends. He is an awesome guy. Im glad that ive been blessed with two awesome companions. But ya i hope i will have another transfer with him, but again i guess we will see next week. Kinda weird this transfer went by so quickly. Esh mission is going by to fast. I cant believe i've been out for over 3 months. It doesnt even feel like ive been out for 1 week. Ah its crazy. So mama mimi naku penda wewe. And as for me i now have got to go, so kwaheri until next week. Usiku mwema. Eh.

Love, Elder Jackson a.k.a. JACK

The kid that got his mission call to my mission is one of my friends from school, his name is kirk smedly, awesome kid, im excited for him to get here. I had like 4 classes with him in high school, again awesome kid. I hope he will come to Dar cause not all the missionary's get to come here, and also because its awesome. . So ya for me this week, the thing im excited for is we are teaching a guy name Raymond and he is funny, he always calls me Jack. and he always says, "so tell me Jack" and ill be like tell you what, and he is like tell me something. Pretty funny guy, but he is inviting four of his friends to come and talk to us, and im pretty excited for that as well. So ya i sorry i dont have too much to say for this week because i talked to yesterday, pole. but ya you guys dont like my swahili? ha its weird i usually think of the swahili word of something before the english. And i now dream in swahill, way freaking weird. Ah its crazy but today im going to send you ALOT of pics so get ready for them, Even those from the MTC. So im gonna go do that now so kwaheri, mimi naku penda wewe (i love you). and ill send you a nice long email next week.

-love elder Jackson